SIGN-UP: Text Compression/Decompression Contest

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09-28-2002
ygfperson

SIGN-UP: Text Compression Contest

Contest theme: Text Compression
Directions: Write a C/C++ program that takes a piece of text data and compresses it in a method of your choice. This method should be original, or at least be an original twist on another idea.
Criteria:
Elegance -- Make your code look nice and readable for the judges. Comments are nice. ;)
Efficiency -- Use as little memory and CPU cycles as possible. Choose an efficient algorithm.
Portability -- Make your program confirm to ANSI-C standards as much as possible. Text compression should not require you to exceed these limits.
Specialized Criteria:
Creativity -- This counts double (10 pts). Keep your algorithm creative, without sacrificing ability. Don\'t oversimplify or overcomplicate.
Compression ratio -- Is the program a good compressor? How often does it return uncompressed data; or worse, expanded data?
Interface -- No fancy interface is required or expected. Make your interface newbie-proof and functional so that it's obvious how to use it.
Time limit: a week and a half. This contest ends midnight, October 3.

Contestants: 5 slots left
The Dog
-Ken-
skyruler54
cshot
BMJ

Judges: filled
ygfperson
xsquared
Dcower
master5001

You can send your entry to [email protected] , [email protected] , or you can upload it at http://contests.cprogramming.com/ .

Any questions?

Remember: above all, make sure your program works. :D
09-28-2002
The Dog

What the heck, I'll give it a go, I'm in.
09-28-2002
xds4lx

By saying:

Quote:

Portability -- Make your program confirm to ANSI-C standards as much as possible. Text compression should not require you to exceed these limits.

does that rule out using C++?
09-29-2002
XSquared

Re: SIGN-UP: Text Compression Contest

Quote:

Originally posted by ygfperson

Time limit: a week and a half. This contest ends midnight, October 3.

Wouldn't a week and a half from September 28th be Oct 10th?
09-29-2002
ygfperson

Quote:

Originally posted by xds4lx
By saying:

does that rule out using C++?

no... i should have made that clearer...

just try to confirm to portable code, like not using conio.h or dos.h, for instance

Quote:

Wouldn't a week and a half from September 28th be Oct 10th?

right... (i really have to stop posting these threads late at night)
October 10 it is.

you're up, dog
09-29-2002
ygfperson

from another post somewhere else:

Quote:

What a coincidence. I have spent the past week or so working on compression for a game that I'm working on. My general purpose compressor did beat out winzip in many areas. Is there any sort of prize? Who is judging?

no prizes... :(
just the feeling that you're better than us. ;)

i'm judging so far, but judges can sign up, too, if you feel qualified.
09-29-2002
crag2804

Is the text to be read from a text file?
09-29-2002
XSquared

I'm willing to judge, if you want me to.
09-29-2002
ygfperson

it's to be read from whatever source you choose

//edit: i've added you, xsquared
09-29-2002
XSquared

its xsquared
09-29-2002
ygfperson

k, sorry bout that.
09-29-2002
Dcower

Can I judge...?
09-29-2002
ygfperson

sure.

to everyone else: we still have plenty of slots for contestants... ;)
09-29-2002
-KEN-

I'll take a crack at it.
09-29-2002
master5001

Awe no prizes. I didn't plan on entering anyway. Could I be a judge though?
09-29-2002
RoD

i want in : )
09-29-2002
skyruler54

I am in..not sure how to do this yet...but should be fun..
09-30-2002
RoD

i'm a newb but its supposed to be a challenge right!
09-30-2002
ygfperson

Quote:

Originally posted by Ride -or- Die
i'm a newb but its supposed to be a challenge right!

depends on your definition of a challenge... ;)

basically, you write up a program that inputs text data (ie: words made of letters, maybe a hyphen, punctuation, spaces, newlines, and numbers) and outputs compressed data.

WARNING: when handling data with a byte value of 13 or 10 (carriage return and line feed) it may cause things to mess up on some systems. i know this from experience with my huffman compression program i wrote a while ago. whenever possible, try to write and read in binary mode.

i've added master5001 as a judge (which means no more judging positions) and all those who requested to be contestants as contestants.

remember, you can submit your stuff; or look over the contest info at http://contests.cprogramming.com/

Note: all judges must be competent in C and C++.
Note: the Creativity criteria counts double.

you're under no obligation. you don't have to send in anything, although i would like it. send stuff in even if you're not finished, or not sure it will go up against the others.
10-01-2002
Sentaku senshi

Quick question. does the file have to be decompresable?
10-01-2002
Cshot

Umm all right, sign me up. I'll whip out something real quick.

*** thinks to self:
void main()
{
goto compress;
....

:D
10-01-2002
ygfperson

Quote:

Originally posted by Sentaku senshi
Quick question. does the file have to be decompresable?

yes. the compression must also be lossless; (ie: all data must be recovered intact).

you must provide some way of decompressing the file you compressed in your program.
10-01-2002
Cshot

>> you must provide some way of decompressing the file you compressed in your program.

Oh, so we're supposed to code up a decompression routine also? But the creativity and efficiency of the decompression has no part on the score right?
10-01-2002
Sang-drax

I made a text compression program about a year ago.

It is highly unportable though (written using DLLs, with a GUI written in Borland C++ Builder)

Is such highly specialized code permitted?

However, I guess it would it be cheating to participate with code made over a year ago.
10-01-2002
ygfperson

Quote:

Originally posted by Cshot
>> you must provide some way of decompressing the file you compressed in your program.

Oh, so we're supposed to code up a decompression routine also? But the creativity and efficiency of the decompression has no part on the score right?

efficiency, yes, creativity, probably not.

what good is a compression program when it can't decompress?

Quote:

Is such highly specialized code permitted?

depends...

you cannot use any uncommon, 3rd party libraries. you can use code you have written before at any time. using DLL's will wreck your portability score. and there's the issue of actually compiling the program...

please don't send it that entry. though it's legal, chances are such an entry would get a low score.
10-01-2002
RoD

i'm in , lets have some fun
10-02-2002
ygfperson

yep. let's.

reminder that the thing is due a week from tomorrow, or October 10.
10-04-2002
BMJ

Waaaaaaaait! *hold hand up*

I want to be a contestant too!
10-04-2002
ygfperson

you're added, BMJ.

just a note: you can sign up at any time until the contest ends. even if you don't sign up, you can still submit something and have it be valid. i just prefer you sign up so i have an idea on how many people are participating.
10-07-2002
RoD

I am backing out. I just don't have time between my game, class, and my girl, i'll catch the next contest.
10-10-2002
The Dog

I've mailed my entry for the contest.
10-10-2002
ygfperson

confirmed.

remember, guys, the deadline's tonight! send yours in any way possible. (information is in the first post of this thread)
10-11-2002
Cshot

entry uploaded
10-11-2002
ygfperson

the contest has officially ended. i'll start sending the judges results.

to all judges: send me your e-mail addresses.
10-15-2002
ygfperson

sorry for the delay... i've been busy the last few days.

i've gotten master5001 and dcower's e-mail addresses, and i'll send them the entries i received soon. xsquared hasn't sent me the address, so until (if) he does, i'm just using dcower and master5001 as judges.

i've received 2 entries in time, fyi. i can't remember the names off the top of my head, though.

//edit: the names are cshot and the dog. if you're not one of them but you sent yours in on time, let me know.
10-19-2002
ygfperson

to the judges: i need your results by the end of today